


The Best Baby that I Ever Had

by Stinastar



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bring tissues, Geralt some some important job, Happy Ending, Holiday Songs, Holidays, I'm becoming predictable, M/M, Musician Jaskier | Dandelion, Sad with a Happy Ending, Tears, Texting, a long December counting crows, again I use a lot of song lyrics, don't make me pin it down, he started it all, let it out baby, or a lot, relationships are hard, research maybe, river Joni Mitchell, river ben platt, sad songs, sorry I'm tagging while drinking, the one where I make the boys cry, what are the holidays if you don't cry a little, you too - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stinastar/pseuds/Stinastar
Summary: Or, the one where I made the boys cry for the holidays. I’M SORRY, OK. I fix it, I promise. It isn’t my fault. CBC R2 played Ben Platt’s cover of “River” by Joni Mitchell and then this just had to happen. I don’t make the rules. So, enjoy a somewhat angsty geraskier holiday fic, with happy ending, because who do you think I am.Apparently it makes everyone cry, so bring your tissue box.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	The Best Baby that I Ever Had

**Author's Note:**

> The songs referenced are A Long December by Counting Crows, Dear Mrs. Claus by The Barr Brothers, and River by Joni Mitchell but the cover by Ben Platt, specifically.

Geralt was restless on the flight. He had a movie playing on the screen set in the seat in front of him, but couldn’t focus on the dialogue. As soon as the plane landed and the seatbelt light was off, he switched his phone off airplane mode.

(Geralt & Triss)

Text to Triss

  * Just landed, waiting to exit the plane



~~

Text to Geralt

  * Welcome back!



~~

  * I’ll catch a cab once I’m out, I don’t have checked baggage
  * Nothing’s changed? 



~~

  * Nope, all the same as when you double checked the details before you left 😋
  * He’ll probably play until 8:00 - you might miss some of it, but you shouldn’t miss him



~~

  * Thanks Triss
  * For everything



~~

  * No worries 😊 
  * Good luck!! 💗



———

Geralt could hear the music faintly from outside as he approached the coffee shop. As he pulled the door open it hit him full force, guitar and a beautiful lilting voice that he felt as much as heard. One he hadn’t heard for months and that put his heart in a vice grip. He took a long, shaky breath and skirted around the busy tables to sit near the back. The song that was being sung when he entered ended, and the singer started a new one.

“It’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last.” The singer’s voice wavered slightly on the line “I can’t remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin’” and again when he sang “if you think that I could be forgiven, I wish you would.” Geralt shifted in his seat, and his chest felt tight.

———

_(Months prior)_

“I thought…you might come with me.” Geralt said.

“To the middle of nowhere? And do what, exactly?” Jaskier replied, his voice rising in pitch.

“My housing is paid for, you wouldn’t have to work.”

“Oh! Alright. Well then. I’ll just stay home then, and, and, mop the floors, and make… fancy mac and cheese for dinner, ready when you get home!”

“Jask…” Geralt said, pleading.

“What will I _do_ , Geralt? Is there a theatre community there? Open mike nights? Does it even have a coffee shop, or just the local greasy spoon?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“It’s too much, Geralt! I’ll go mad! Wither away! I need _people_ , and the arts, night life… You’ll come home one day and I’ll have walked into the local lake!”

Geralt looked up at Jaskier with wide, pained eyes, and Jaskier had to look away.

“You’re asking too much of me. Why do you need to…”

“You know I’ve been waiting for this opportunity, Jask. I don’t know when it might come up again. I… I have to take it. I thought you’d understand. Thought you’d be…”

“Well.” Jaskier interrupted him, eyes brimming with tears. “It’s good to know what your priorities are. Good luck with your move.” He spun on his heel and headed to the door.

“Jaskier,” Geralt pleaded, his voice cracking.

Jaskier shoved on his shoes and grabbed his jacket, not pausing to put it on as he rushed out. The door shut, leaving Geralt alone.

“Fuck,” he breathed out, a tear stealing down his cheek. He buried his face in his hands and dropped heavily onto his couch. He tried calling and texting his boyfriend over the next few days, but got no response before having to leave the city.

———

Near the end of the song the singer’s voice cracked on the line “I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass.” Geralt’s fingers twitched, yearning to reach out, and he dug them into his jeans instead. Next the singer did a cheeky rendition of “Dear Mrs. Claus,” his demeanour brightening. He winked at someone at the front of the crowd, and Geralt shifted again, hoping he hadn’t made a mistake in showing up like this. The next song was somber again.

“It's coming on Christmas, they’re cutting down trees.” The singer’s voice brimmed with emotion as he sang “I made my baby cry,” his eyes squeezed shut. “He tried hard to help me, you know, he put me at ease, and he loved me so naughty, made me _weak in the knees_ , oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on, I’m so _hard to handle_ , I’m selfish and I'm sad, now I've gone and lost the best baby that I ever had.” His voice cracked on the ‘ever,’ and his eyes shone with unshed tears as he looked down at his guitar. Geralt found himself standing without thinking about what he was doing. He stayed standing where he was as the musician sang a few more lines, then slowly started moving towards the small stage.

“It’s coming on Christmas,” the singer faltered briefly as his wide blue eyes caught Geralt’s, before he continued and finished the song while Geralt stood quietly by the stage. When he’d played the last notes, the singer thanked the audience and put his guitar into its case with shaking fingers before approaching Geralt.

“Geralt. What, um, what are you doing here?”

“Triss told me you’d be playing here tonight.”

“Oh. I see. But, um… I didn’t know you were in town.”

“It was short notice, and I just got in. I didn’t really tell anyone.”

“Except Triss.”

“Except Triss. And Eskel.”

The silence drew out.

“You were great! I caught the last few songs.” Geralt said.

“Oh, um, thank you. I really wasn’t expecting you to hear them…” he laughed nervously. Geralt frowned.

“I’m sorry. Should I not have come? I should have…”

“No! No. It’s fine. Surprised you’re even talking to me, actually.” Jaskier said, staring down at his shoes.

“Jaskier…”

“I’m sorry. I’m _so sorry_ , Geralt.” Jaskier looked up and his eyes were full of tears again. “I was selfish, and an asshole. I knew how important that position was to you, of _course_ I knew, but I was _scared_. Scared to leave all our friends, our city. Scared to go somewhere so remote, to have to abide my own company… sacred that with it being just us, you’d finally realize how annoying I am, get sick of me, and then I’d be out there, in the middle of nowhere, with no-one, no…”

“ _Jaskier_.” Geralt reached out a hand and gently wiped at the tears that had started spilling down Jaskier’s cheeks. “I could never get sick of you. And I know. I’m sorry too. I was so wrapped up in my own dreams, I didn’t give enough thought to what it would be like for you.”Jaskier sniffed. “I’m here because… a position opened up back here.” Jaskier looked at him questioningly.

“But… I thought the reason…”

“It’s not the same, of course. But it’s a good position. I was thinking of taking it. If… if you…”

Jaskier hiccuped and threw his arms around Geralt’s shoulders. Geralt wrapped his arms around Jaskier, who buried his face in Geralt’s neck, letting out a sob, and Geralt tightened his arms.

“I missed you so much.” Jaskier sobbed into his skin. Geralt lifted a hand to stroke the back of Jaskier’s head.

“I missed you too,” he rumbled. “It’s been too quiet without you.” He nosed at Jaskier’s hair.

“I’m sorry. I was so stupid. You don’t have to give up your dream position for me. I’ll come with you when you go back. If, if the offer still stands.”

Geralt gave him a squeeze.

“It’s alright. I think my priorities have shifted a bit. It’s a good position here, and I miss our city and our friends too. But most importantly you.” He kissed the top of Jaskier’s head. “You wouldn’t be happy there. And, I wasn’t happy without you. We were happy here.”

Jaskier pulled his head back just far enough to look Geralt in the eyes and give him a watery smile.

“We were, weren’t we?”

“Mmm.”

Jaskier looked down to Geralt’s lips and his tongue darted out to swipe across his bottom lip. Geralt started to lean towards him and they met in a soft, slightly salty kiss.

“Where’s your stuff, where are you staying?” Jaskier asked.

“That’s all I’ve got” Geralt pointed at his carry-on bag on the floor near their feet. “Eskel said I could stay with him…”

“You could come home with me, if you like,” Jaskier said softly.

“I’d like that.”

“Are you staying for the holidays?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm.” Jaskier stroked his hands down Geralt’s back, then snuck them under the hem of his sweater, lightly caressing the skin above the waistband of his jeans. “Are you my present, then?” Jaskier asked with a cheeky smile.

“Hmm… could be…”

“Can I unwrap it tonight?”

Geralt snorted.

“I missed you,” Geralt said, his voice gone husky.

“I missed you too. Let me know you how much. Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Your kudos and comments brighten my day 🌈💖  
> Check out my profile for more Witcher fics!  
> Find me on tumblr under stinawrites & stinastar


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